Less Than Six Weeks to Canberra Marathon!

Anaerobic Threshold and Race Preparation

Monday - recovery run on Canberra's Birthday
This morning I ran a gentle run from home at 10.30am!
Total distance: 12km
Time taken: 1:15:18
Average pace per km: 6:16
Calories burned: 715

Tuesday
Today I ran twice - something I do very rarely
Run at 8am
Total distance: 5km
Time taken: 31mins
Average pace per km: 6:13
Calories burned: 300

6.15pm Run - Summer Series at Acton Ferry Terminal
Warm up with Thea - 2km

Race total distance: 5km
Time taken: 27:01
Average pace per km: 5:15
Calories burned: 300
Total distance for day: 12km

Wednesday - Today
6.15am - RPM
7am - Abs class
4.30pm - Run from home to and round lake and home again
Total distance: 16.29km
Time taken: 1hr 31mins
Average pace per km: 6:04
Calories burned: 960

Weston Creek Half Marathon

I have mixed feelings about today's run. I felt decidedly ordinary at the start with my nose running like a leaky tap and my throat dry and sore. Yesterday's short 5km run was not comfortable and I admit I was a bit dubious about running at all feeling the way I did at the start line. However I was glad that I didn't wuss out. Although this was definitely not one of my better results I actually quite enjoyed the run in spite of the hills and the constant cycle paths. There were lots of familiar faces and Mr B was out there with extra supplies of tissues when needed. He ran about 17km off and on although he didn't compete and he just turned up at odd places with tissues! Rachelle was out there running here and there and popped up about 2km from the end as did speedychief who of course had already finished the race and was on his cool down when he found me and encouraged me to put on a bit more of a spurt to make it to the end. The clock had just clicked over the 2 hour mark when I ran through the finish line and no matter how big a finishing spurt I could not have run any faster. My name was accidentally called out as winning my age group and when I corrected the error I was rewarded with a bottle of NZ sauvignon blanc for my honesty - yay!!

Later I spent FOUR hours at Tilleys enjoying the company of CJ, Ewen, Lulu, Steve, Carol, Bruce (not to forget Bella the border collie) and Rachelle - such a great way to spend a sunny Sunday.

Distance: 21.1km

Official Time taken: 2hrs and some seconds (tbc)

Average pace per km: 5:40

Calories burned: 1255

A Good Day

This morning I went to Body Balance - I love that class, compulsory stretching, amazing abs work and so lovely when we have total relaxation for ten minutes at the end. Last night I was CJ's guinea pig at CIT for a fitness assessment. It was good fun but these abs of mine defnitely need more work!

After the gym this morning I went for a run which incorporated fartlek training. My legs did not want to cooperate and the fact that I'm still coughing madly doesn't help much. Here's hoping I don't disgrace myself at the half marathon on Sunday. However, I had a good day today. After my shower I went to lunch with my ex-admin staff as an opportunity to say thank you and farewell. It was so lovely being able to do that and we had such a nice time. Management covered the cost and had sent a very nice gift for me so it was all good.

Total distance today: 11.13km

Ups and Downs!

Since Sunday I've had a dose of flu and a bad cold - not very pleasant but I think I'm starting to feel better. I didn't run at all on Sunday and Monday - just no energy and totally blah. However I did go out for a gentle run yesterday and managed a slow 8.45km. This morning I returned to RPM and later I went to track which was held today as tomorrow there's a big footy match being held at the AIS and the track is closed. I was a bit apprehensive about racing as I'm not 100% yet but I decided to at least give the spiral a go. I started from Group 33 and finished in 8th place so was happy enough with that.

Distance: 5lap spiral - 2.47km
Time taken: 12:35
Average pace per km: 5:07

Next Marg and I decided to enter the 2km walking race which is always fun. We don't do the proper race walk, we just power walk a fast as we can. We still have a handicap but are not judged. It really is fun and I was very happy to come in second place - what a fluke!

After this Marg and I jogged outside the track for 3km just gently but as I was coughing a lot and feeling decidedly ordinary gave the 3km event a miss and instead headed home. But it's a start and I'm hoping I'll be ok for the half on Sunday, just taking it fairly easy this week.

Total distance today including warm-up: 8km

Friends make running fun!

Today it was another early start to be at the War Memorial to meet the others by 6am. It was still dark and I ran with some trepidation watching the ground all the time determined not to trip! Since yesterday I have been suffering from a sore dry throat and as a consequence felt very dehydrated and appreciated all the fluid I took with me. I ran with Cathy M, Graeme, Nad & Brett for the first 11km then left them at the steps to climb Mt Majura as usual. I felt a bit more sluggish today, could be related to my cold but plodded on alone and met up with Ewen back near the start. From here we headed to Campbell Park, Duntroon, Molonglo Reach and through the wetlands and round the lake heading back to the War Memorial - a 17km loop. It was great to have company and this meant I only had to run alone for about 8km. In the first part of the run over the Mt Ainslie trails there were large numbers of curious kangaroos and a few frisky bunnies. I was really tired and slow but achieved the required distance so that's good.

After the run we met up with the others at the picnic area for a little while then when everyone dispersed Ewen and I enjoyed beautiful coffee and cake at the Outpost Cafe.

Now I'll take my time recovering before going on a train ride with Mr B's squash group this evening to a French restaurant - should be lots of fun.

Total distance: 34.4km
Time taken: 3hrs 45mins approx
Average pace per km: 6:50
Calories burned: 2000

Echidna instead of a Wombat!

Wednesday without Wombat
6.15am - RPM
7am-abs

6.15pm - Medium/Long Run

I ran all alone (no ipod, no Ewen) from home to and round the lake and an extra loop round Kaleen. It's very quiet without music but I had lots to churn over in my mind so it made for great thinking time. It started off hot and sunny but was quite cool and dark by the time I reached home. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of runners, walkers, cyclist and dogs out there.

Total distance: 20km
Time taken: 2:05
Average pace per km: 6:14
Calories burned: 1198

Thursday

I decided not to enter any events at track tonight as my schedule suggested hills. However, I still had to go to track to deliver and collect a few things for people and decided to make it a base and ran from there out to O'Connor Ridge and hilly trails. I kept losing the correct path back to the start as there are too many opportunities to go down the wrong turn-off and if there's a way to become lost I will find it! However, it was a great surface and it completely blew me away when a gorgeous little echidna waddled across my path with its nose poking straight ahead. How exciting. That was a first on any run I've done. There were lots of steep hills which obviously slowed me down considerably although Idid try to push myself up them as quickly as possible. I ran back to the track in time to see the last half of the 10,000m. Some of the times were amazing.

Total distance: 13km

Time 1:26

Average pace per km: 6:39

Calories burned: 760

Gainfully Unemployed!

Sometimes life doesn't turn out quite the way you planned! I was so glad I went to RPM at the gym yesterday morning because I didn't make it to training after work as I was held up at work - my last day at work in fact as although I had put in my notice of retirement to finish in four weeks, due to my managerial position and the company "protocol" this afternoon I was escorted off the premises - not the best way to end my full-time working career and a very sad day. It was too late to go to training and I was rather distressed so no running happened.

Tuesday - Cross Country Summer Series
Location: Boathouse running towards Commonwealth Park.
Distance: 5km (plus 1km warm-up) = 6km
Time taken: 28:02
Average pace per km: 5:34
It was lovely to catch up with Marg, Cathy M and Carolyne before and after the run. There was a tough head wind heading out to the carillon but on the way back it eased off. Overall I was glad I ran as it really helps having those endorphins released!

Strewth - I did a CJ!

Saturday's run at Mt Ainslie started at 6am and suddenly 6am is still quite dark. Our little group started off and I chatted happily with Cathy M as we enjoyed the trails in the semi darkness. About 1.5km into the run I tripped on a tiny hidden rock and couldn't stop myself from falling flat on my front, arms splayed, flying dramatically to the dirty ground. I lay there quite stunned but eventually managed to stand with help with water poured from Chris and Graeme's bottles. They led me to sit on a branch of a tree as the world was defnitely going round - just shock I guess although I was in some pain! Roy in the meantime ran back to fetch his car and drive it closer but by the time he arrived I was feeling much better and ready to continue running. Roy rejoined us and we continued on the trails.

I know I looked quite a sight covered in dust and dirt and blood and scratches. My knee was stiff and sore but after Roy returned to his car at 17km I continued on slowly and found a great trail on the other side of the road. Next week I will run further along it. This week I was on a time frame as I needed to take Mr B to the airport for a triathlon in Brisbane. However I did manage to fit in 30km and all of it off-road which was fantastic. On the way back towards Roy's car after our turnaround point we came across CJ, twofruits and softshoeshuffle all looking extremely fit and healthy as they are nearly at the tapering stage for 6' track. Twofruits did point out that I might need a shower before taking Mr B to the airport!

At the picnic ground after the run I caught up with Cathy M, the two Graemes and all the 6' track group briefly before heading off for that shower! My knee felt a bit stiff and I have a big bruise in a spot where the sun doesn't shine but the only bad after effect is a very stiff neck - wierd - where did that come from?

Total distance: 30km

Average pace per km: 7mins (blame the stiff knee)

Today - Masters' Handicap at North Curtin

This morning I collected CJ and we drove out to the monthly handicap at Curtin. It was different to the Cross Country run on Tuesday although part of the off-road hill was the same route. There was quite a lot of the run on cycle track and I have to admit I definitely prefer the trails. The concrete is so hard on the feet (can't believe I said that). There were plenty of hills at the start but the second half of the run was almost boring even if it was much faster being both flat and downhill. However, I did pass a few people but was pipped at the post by speedy CJ who sprinted past me just before the finish and no way could these dead little legs catch her. I did enjoy the run and I do love seeing people I haven't seen for ages at these events. Later CJ and I enjoyed the most beautiful and welcome coffee at Black Pepper and a little piece of yummy loaf to go with it.

Starting group: 21

Distance of run: 6km

Warm-up: 1.5km

Time taken for run: 34:05

Average pace per km: 5:27

Finish place: 30th

Total distance for day: 7.5km

Total distance for week: 76km

Decision time!

Here it is Sat night and I haven't blogged since Monday. It's been quite a week - dreadful work-wise and big decisions made. My notice is in and I retire on Friday 20 March - woo hoo - so now it's countdown time! Already I feel better having made that decision!

Tuesday - Summer Series

Cross country race at North Curtin. This started with a 2km hill which seemed to go on forever and speedygeoff ran with me encouraging me to go faster. I enjoyed the run but it was tough trying to run fast after the training session the night before. I kept Caroline in sight and managed to finish just 6secs behind her. Speedygeoff let me run in just before him and as it turned out that wasn't necessarily a good thing as the number called for the barrel draw was our speedy leader. Being a gentleman gains its rewards!

Total distance for race: 5km
Time taken: 27:44
Average pace per km: 5:32
Warm-up: 1km
Total distance for day: 6km

Wednesday

After an 11 hour day at work and no Ewen to run with I ran from home starting much later than I had intended. I felt tired and cranky and it was good to run. However I only managed to fit in 10km which again was shorter than my original intention.

Total distance: 10km
Time taken: 59mins
Average pace per km: 5:54
Calories burned: 586

Thursday - Track
Tonight I arrived just in time for the 5 lap spiral and decided to run it as I always find it fun.
Total distance: 2.08km
Time taken: 10:29
Average pace per km: 5:08

Next Marg and I went for a gentle jog to keep the legs moving until the 3km event later in the evening. We ran 3km out of the AIS and met Ewen going out as we returned. He did however arrive back in time for the race and unbeknownst to me kept me in his sights. This was a handicap event according to age and he started well behind me. Just as I was coming to the finish line I heard these pounding feet coming up behind me. I put on a mad sprint but the long-legged wily wombat just pipped me at the post! I will plot my revenge!

Total distance: 3km
Time taken: 15:28
Average pace per km: 5:10

I never seem to manage that elusive under 15mins for 3km.

Total distance for day: 8km
And now it's late and I have the Masters' Handicap in the morning so I'll write about my eventful Saturday run tomorrow - goodnight!

Nine Weeks to Canberra Marathon - Focus Endurance and Anaerobic Threshold

6.15am - RPM

5.10pm - short warm-up run to meet Ewen and Miranda

5.30pm - speedygeoff's PH training

I was held up at work and didn't arrive at PH on time to do the 8km early warm-up, only time for 3.2km to meet up with the other early birds.

The training session started at 5.30pm with a bit of extra warm up before our main session at the grassy bank in front of PH. We ran (40secs fast/80secs slow x 3) x 4 up and down the slopes. Then we ran quite a long warm down loop - a bit different and quite fun.

Total distance: 14km

Sprint Marathon Relay

It was another early start this morning as we needed to be at Govt House for the organisation of the teams for the sprint marathon relay by 7.15am. Mr B had to leave even earlier for the triathlon which started at 6.30am. Rachelle and I went together and arrived exactly on time. It was great to see Marg's stunt double who had come to Canberra with Ron from Queensland for the weekend to celebrate their birthdays.

There were 8 teams with 6 in each team starting in order of estimated speed per km. The aim was to mix fast and slow runners in each team to make them as equal as possible. I started as No 4 in my team. It was lots of fun although the morning was very fresh and a long top was necessary for some of the long waits between runs. Our runs were split into 1 and 2km laps and in the last lap each runner picked up the next one so that all the team ran over the finish line together holding hands. Our team came 4th which was exactly in the middle and a quite exciting finish. Marg's team won which was so fantastic considering that she was asked to stand in for someone who had to drop out at 8pm last night.

Total distance: 6km (with about 1km run inbetween) = 7km

Total distance for week: 76km

Cool hilly trails!

After extremely hot temperatures last weekend it was quite bizarre running in positively cool temperatures this morning. It was in the low teens at 6am as we set off on the trails of Mt Ainslie, cloudy and cool - actually quite ideal running conditions because we warmed up quickly on the hills but never dehydrated or became too hot. I felt really comfortable today and ran with (not behind) Cathy and Maryanne managing the hills with ease. I'm sure it was because the temperature was so much cooler. Roy ran with me on the return loop when we left the others at the steps leading to Mt Majura. Roy and I ran on following the Masters' Handicap run and then on to Duntroon golf course where we ran all round it before running through the grounds of Duntroon and back to Mt Ainslie for the return to the War Memorial. I had to run 700m past the carpark at the end to make the exact required distance. It was a good pleasant run and we saw bunnies, curious kangaroos and the most stunning coloured parrots as well as some lovely views from the hills.

We joined the others later (with the two Graemes - the 'small' one had started at 7am) at the picnic area where we enjoyed drinks and a good chat - lots of fun.
Total distance: 28km
Time taken: 3hrs 11mins
Average pace per km: 6:50
Almost forgot - Happy Valentine's Day! I have some Lindt choccies which I will hide away from myself until after the sprint marathon relay tomorrow!

A Little Bit of Bling!

The temperature has dropped and this week has been so much cooler. So many tragedies have happened with dreadful floods in Queensland and horrific fires in Victoria and the devastation of so many lives lost. It makes us realise just how precious and fragile life really can be.

Sunday was still extremely hot, 40deg in Canberra and I just ran a very short run early in the morning.

Distance: 5km

Monday - speedygeoff's training at Parliament House

4.30pm - warm up run with Miranda, Geoff and Ewen

5.30pm - speedygeoff's training

warm up loop of PH followed by main set - 1 practise loop and 4 x 930m hilly repeats with 100m slow/200m fast repeated 3 times for each loop. Then off to the steep hill for attrition sprints. As usual I was eliminated in the first bunch but it was exciting cheering everyone else on and just like last week the two winners were Bronwyn and Tim with Tim the overall winner narrowly racing past Bron at the top of the hill - an exciting finish.

Warm down loop of PH

Total distance: 16.3km

Tuesday - Summer Series No 2 Race

Tonight this was held from The Boathouse and we ran to Molonglo Reach and over the bridge and back

Distance: 5km

Warm-up: 1km

Total distance: 6km

My calf felt very stiff and sore and as a consequence I didn't run a cool-down instead I treated it with a bag of frozen peas at home (having mislaid the ice pack) and gave it a bit of self massage and a soothing shower.

Wednesday

6.15am - RPM

7am - Abs class

6pm - Run with Ewen.

After some confusion re our meeting place Ewen and I finally met up at Regatta Point and started our run a litte later than intended. The conditions were cool and pleasant, so different from the week before. We ran very gently as I was treating my calf with caution. We ran out past Mollonglo and through the wetlands running the full loop - pleasant and after the initial twinges felt comfortable.

Warm-up: 1k

Run with Ewen: 13km
Total distance: 14km
Average pace per km: 6:25

Thursday - Track at AIS

Tonight for some crazy reason I had pre-entered the 15oom ACT Masters' Championships at the track. I ran 3km for a warm-up and ran the 1500m at about 7pm. It was a bit scary but I enjoyed the challenge. The best part was that as I walked down from the kitchen later Rachelle called out to me, "go collect your bling". Sure enough there was a silver medal waiting for me - 2nd in my age group (number in age group = 2) - tee hee! That was a lovely surprise - a medal for second place in spite of a slow time compared to everyone else. I wasn't last - one person finished 2 minutes after me!!

Total Distance with warm-up: 5km
Race distance: 1500m
Time taken for event: 7.09:53

I did look up my past events and find that in 1996 I ran this event in 7:08:34 so I have a bit of work to do to better that time! I have only ever run 1500m once since then before tonight.

Hot, hot, hot - but there's a cool change coming!

The heat in Canberra this week has been extreme and the problem here is that there's not a beach round the corner and it's difficult to cool down. Running in the heat has been a problem this week with every day soaring temperatures reaching well over 35deg. I'm just glad I had a relatively easy week scheduled!

Wednesday

6.15am - RPM

7am - abs class

6.15pm - Run with Ewen

It was still very hot (30deg) at 6.15pm when I met up with Ewen and I felt more comfortable running in a crop top. However, I took my singlet with me and when we reached the water fountain I soaked it in water to keep me cool. We met at Regatta Point and ran out past Molonglo Reach and on the track towards the airport before retracing our steps.

Total distance: 13km

Time taken: 1:21

Average pace per km: 6:14

Thursday
It was still very hot in the evening and I decided to go to track a little later than usual. After a short warm-up and the excitement of watching the speedygeeese run fantastic times in the 800m relays, I lined up for the 3000m event. It was challenging but quite fun really in spite of the heat. It took me 15:38 - a bit slow.

At the end of the track session Ewen, speedychief and I went for a cool down run outside the track. It was really pleasant and a good way to finish the evening.

Total distance: 1km warm up, 3km race, 5km warm down = 9km

Friday

Last Friday my Body Balance lady was away and we had a Power Yoga class in its place - rather challenging to say the least. However, this week it was back to Body Balance and those amazing stretches - great way to start the last day of the working week. I love Fridays!

Saturday - Back to the Hills

I met up with the Mt Ainslie group and Marg and Roy for a 6am start. Good decision as after the first km I was already dripping. I only had 20km scheduled today and managed to keep Cathy M in sight or run with her until leaving that part of the group who were climbing up ladders and heading for the top of Mt Majura. At that stage there had been a lot of undulations but it was all manageable and I enjoyed the surface of the trails and off road. However, I did manage to lose Marg and Roy and I hoped to catch them on the return journey but they were nowhere in sight. I did see Graeme heading out. He started out at 7am instead of 6am but I'm so glad we had started an hour earlier. It was so hot and later reached 40deg.

I managed to find my way back to the war memorial on my own for the last 10km - I did check with one runner out there as to where I was heading and felt so relieved when I realised I was on the right track! My sense of direction is non-existent and it's always a good feeling to know I'm not lost. Back at the start there was still no sign of M & R and I ran back a little way looking for them. However, eventually they turned up having taken a different turn with Marg limping from turning her ankle on the uneven surface.

We enjoyed a pleasant drink at the Outpost Cafe and joined the others in the picnic area to welcome back Cathy M etc who had run about 30km including both hills. It was certainly a very hot morning but lovely to see everyone and I felt comfortable in my run.

Total distance: 20km/Average pace per km: 6:42

Sunday

Just a short run from home - still far too hot. Next week the temperature is due to drop and from Tuesday should be much cooler and easier to run.

Total distance: 5km

Total goal for week: 50-57km

Total achieved for week: 60km

Easy Week Scheduled

My training program includes 3 weeks hard with the 4th week easing back. This week is my scheduled easy week and my distance drops back The focus of the past 3 weeks has been Endurance and Strength. My Monday started the usual way.

6.15am - RPM

5.30pm - speedygeese at Parliament House (I didn't make it to the early session tonight)

After the warm up loops we did four lots of four by twenty second sprints with a twenty second jog recovery between each sprint; then we were taken to a short steep hill to sprint to the top as fast as possible. There were 10 of us and 5 of us were eliminated after the first hill as we were the slowest. After that one person (the last one each time) was eliminated each time until we had a winner - Tim - good fun! Then it was a cool down loop back to the start.

Total distance: 7km

Tuesday - Summer Series Begins

This morning I actually went for a swim - I haven't swum at the pool for about 12 months and I only managed 600m before I emerged from the pool and sat in a soothing wonderful spa for 15mins. However I will return to swimming as it felt really good.

Tonight was the first of the ACT Cross Country Summer Series races. It was held at Stromlo Forest Park and although it had reached 31deg earlier in the day by the time of the run it had clouded over and was considerably cooler. There was a bit of a breeze but the conditions were pretty good and so much better than the extremely hot weather we have been experiencing lately. It was lovely to catch up with friends there although there were a number obvious by their absence.

Total distance for race: 5km (5.22km according to garmin)

Time taken: 27:11

Average pace per km: 5:13

Warm down: 1km making total distance 6km

One Perfect Day!

My Preparation for a long run:
Night Before
Charge ipod
Charge garmin
Make up gatorade
Put 4 little drink bottles in freezer with half gatorade in bottom
Fill up water bottle
Lay out all gear ready for run

Day of Run
Rise 2 hours before scheduled run. Eat banana and honey on white toast and cup of tea. Drink lots of water.
Quick wake-up shower
Put voltarin cream on likely sore spots
Put body glide on toes and any bits likely to chaff
Cover exposed parts of body with sunblock
Lipgloss to prevent sunburnt lips
Deodorant (of course)
Put on toe gel cover to prevent toes rubbing
Band-aid on heel
Put on running clothes
After tying shoe laces with double bows thread through rest of lace so that there are no dangly bits (can't stand dangly bits)
Adjust running cap
Get satellite for garmin by placing on window ledge
Clip on ipod shuffle and thread cords through crop top
Remove drink bottles from freezer and fill up with gatorade
Ensure drink belt contains house keys or car keys (if driving somewhere), jelly beans and tissues as well as drinks of course

Forgotten Saturday - guu (for carbo loading - left in running bag), 'cool-it' for keeping neck cool (left in fridge)

My Preparation for short run
Rise 30mins before
Quick wash
Put on running gear (laid out night before)
Put on ipod and garmin
Run out door - no drinks needed, house keys in shorts pocket

On Saturday after doing all the above I drove to Rydges near the lake and started my long run from there. I was on a bit of a time frame as we had decided to drive to the beach in the early afternoon and I was soooo looking forward to that swim. I ran to Molonglo Reach and took the little track down to the airport then turned and ran back and over the bridge and round the wetlands then back past the yacht club and round the west basin end of the lake. I was constantly thirsty and stopped whenever I found water filling up my water bottles and pouring water over me. The first two hours of the run were great as the sun hadn't shone in its full force but after 20km it became a struggle. However, although my speed slowed down considerably and I was hanging out to finish I managed to last the distance and breathed a huge sigh of relief as the kilometres ticked over to the required distance.

Total distance: 34km

Time taken: 3hrs 37mins

Average pace per km: 6:24

Calories burned: 1996

Sunday - today - my perfect day!

Yesterday afternoon we drove to the beach and stayed the night. We had a wonderful swim in the cold waves yesterday and it soothed my tired muscles.

This morning after an early brekkie I went for a short run beside the beach just to keep moving and to feel the coolness in the air. It was a great morning with plenty of cloud cover until lunchtime when the sun started streaming down. We spent the afternoon in the surf and the sand. We went for long walks along the beach and when we felt too hot we jumped back into the waves. In the late afternoon we bought fish and chips before driving home after a fantastic day feeling refreshed and ready to face another hot week in Canberra.

Total distance: 5:56

Goal for week: 86km

Total distance achieved for week: 90.56km!! Yay!

And now there are 11 weeks until the marathon.

Hilly Trails win over Track in the heatwave

It was far too hot for me to run at track tonight. Instead I waited until a more reasonable hour and set off for the North Lyneham Ridge hills. I found a nice off-road hill and after a 15min warm-up I ran 10 x 1min hill repeats. Even well after 7pm it was still very hot and a bit of a struggle. After the hill repeats I continued round the 3km undulating hill where the speedygeese used to train some years ago. It was a bit dusty but I enjoyed the hilly trails and was pleased to stay on the right track and not become lost on the little off-shoot trails. I finished with a gentle warm-down run and arrived home dripping like a wet rag. Boy, did I enjoy the cool shower afterwards!

Total distance: 10km

New Look Blog for a Slow Strewth!

I now have a new-look blog thanks to Ewen. I wish it would benefit my running speed! Tonight I had a shocker of a run - a real struggle in the still-hot evening. My legs felt like they were still recovering from the RPM class this morning - so heavy and slow and the heat was oppressive. Mr B ran with me or in front of me after his hot cycle home so at least I had some company as Ewen couldn't run with me tonight. Poor Mr B kept slowing down to wait for me - I really did it tough tonight - not good!

6.15am - RPM
7am - Abs class

6.45am - Run from home.
Distance: 15km
Time taken: 1hr 33mins
Average pace per km: 6:13

Running when the sun don't shine!

This morning I had a window of opportunity to run early as I didn't have to run back to back due to training at PH being cancelled last night and running long in its place yesterday morning. Thus, I ran at 6am from home past Lake G and back via Giralang - a 10km loop. It was a fantastic time of day to run - no hot sun and lots of cloud cover - perfect!

Distance: 10km (incorporating 6 strides or 1 min bursts of speed)
Time taken: 60mins
Average pace per km: 6mins

Happy Australia Day!

This morning Marg and I joined speedychief and some speedygeese at the zoo at 8am to run a supposedly gentle loop around that end of the lake. It was quite pleasant at that time of the day although felt pretty warm towards the end. The main group set a steady pace and I dropped to the back of the pack fairly quickly. However I did keep the group in sight until I decided to turn back to join Marg briefly and ensure all was well before chasing after the others again. I ran the last couple of kms with Al and caught up with lots of family news after many years. Ewen arrived about 3mins after we left from the start and he had to run a brisk catch-up and caught us at the first drink/nature stop at the yacht club.

After the run Marg, Cathy M, Graeme, Ewen and I spent a very pleasant hour at the cafe at Reconciliation Place enjoying good coffee or milkshake or gelato or more than one of the above. We had a prime view of the lake happenings and ducked as two fighter jets suddenly roared low overhead and soon after that we watched and heard canons being fired on the opposite side of the lake. We were also joined briefly by a gentleman on his bicycle decked with Aust flags and a carpet lined basket carrying two very cute little dogs complete with helmets having a "birds eye" view and the time of their lives. It was a great location - a lovely break by the lake in excellent company.

Total distance: 16km
Average pace per km for 14km: 6:05

A bit unsure of the total time taken as I forgot to turn on gandalf after one of the drink stations and lost about 2km before I realised - rats!

Later in the afternoon Mr B and I returned to Rec Place for a pleasant little walk, another round of refreshments and some people watching - very civilized - although by then the wind had picked up and it was very breezy.

First Masters' Handicap for 2009!

This morning CJ and I headed out to Campbell Park for the first Masters' Handicap for 2009. The weather was positively cool with cloud cover, no wind and perfect conditions for running. It was really good not to be battling the wind or struggling in the heat. I went off in Group 21 after
CJ and I had run an easy 2km warm-up. CJ was in Group 33! I caught up with a few people which was great and I felt comfortable and enjoyed the run. It was hilly on the way out and the last hill before the turn-around was tough but I didn't walk once and felt fairly strong most of the way - lots of lovely downhills! I finished in 38th place in the 'long course' field of 107. CJ and I ran a warm down run of 2km making the total for the day 10km.

Total distance of race: 6km

Time taken: 33:53
Average pace per km: 5:39
Place: 38th (out of 107)
Total distance including warm up and down: 10km

After the race CJ and I whizzed off to watch the last few finishers in the Olympic triathlon at the lake. We saw quite a few people we know and I caught up with a few people Mr B and I had met in Rimini last year, which was exciting. Caroline competed and did a pb for that course but when they called out the age group winners, due to some computer error, they didn't go above W60 and as she is in the W65 group her name was not called and she missed out on a medal - most disappointing, especially when she did so well.

In the early afternoon the sun came out and the temperature rose. It was hot again. We were so very lucky to have such ideal conditions for our first handicap of the year.
Goal for week: 82km
Achieved for week: 83km - woo hoo!

Whistle down the Wind!

I should have known it was a bad omen when 3.5km into my run my ipod stopped dead and I had to run the rest of the way without music. Obviously I hadn't charged it properly. All I could hear was the sound of breathing, strong winds and faint bird songs.

When the alarm went off this morning I pressed the snooze button three times before reluctantly crawling out of bed. After all this procrastination I didn't actually start running until 8.45am - rather later than planned. The wind was already blowing and I headed out from home towards Lake BG which was probably a mistake on hindsight as the wind was worse there. I hoped the wind would die down before the triathlon events later in the afternoon. Running beside the lake the choppy waves splashed me and it felt good. I found my thirst was unquenchable and stopped at every available bubbler in spite of carrying water with me. I battled the wind in both directions but on my return journey past the boathouse I could hardly move one foot in front of the other as the wind was so strong. In fact it blew my cap off and I just managed to rescue it before it before it fell in the lake - no way would I have jumped in after it! Thus it was that although there were few hills I felt just like I was climbing them as I battled the wind.

It took me longer than last week's long run even though the first half was quicker. Later, While Mr B was officiating at the triathlons, I spent a lovely afternoon with CJ. We headed off to buy new shoes at The Runners' Shop - maybe that will cure the blister problem. After a few more purchases we enjoyed a relaxing coffee and caught up with our news.

Total distance: 30km

Time taken: 3:13:55

Average pace per km: 6:27

Calories burned: 1770

Running with the Kangaroos!

Wednesday
6.15am - RPM
7am - Abs
5.20pm - Run with Ewen

Met Ewen at Rydges where we crossed the bridge to the ferry terminal and ran out past Molonglo Reach and a little way along the new track towards the airport. I didn't want Ewen to fire me as his running partner so I put on a bit of a burst of speed and we covered the distance a lot quicker than last week. It was hot, windy and hard work but the company helped considerably. After 14km we reached Ewen's car and I ran the last couple of km gently to make up the required distance.

Total distance: 16km
Average pace per km for 14km: 6:06
Calories burned: 850

Thursday

As I had fartlek on hills scheduled I decided against running at track. This was just as well as a most impressive storm hit in the early evening and the hour run at track was called to a halt after 40mins.

I ran a 15mins warm-up then headed for the hilly trails on North Lyneham ridge. My run went as follows:

2 x 60sec hard/60sec float
4 x 30sec hard/30sec float
2 x 60sec hard/60sec float
4 x 30sec hard/30 sec float
2 x 60sec hard/60sec float
Warm down.
Total distance: 10km

During the course of the run I was running with kangaroos beside me, I just couldn't keep up with their agile speed. During the warm-down I found a better trail than the first part of my run which was a bit steep and rough. I will head there for more hills in the weekend. My timing was perfect as I made it home just before the heavens opened!

Woo hoo - anybody out there?

Rush, rush, rush arriving at PH with only seconds to spare only to discover the usual underground entry had been blocked off due to preparations for the Australia Day concert. I parked the car outside and ran round PH looking for my running companions, water bottle in hand. I couldn't find any way into the carpark past the barriers so I ran back to return my bottle to the car and saw two familiar figures about to disappear in the distance. I quickly stored my bottle and took after the others at speed. I didn't catch them until I was through the tunnel and running by the lake - "woooo hoooo" I called loudly and fortunately speedychief heard me. I caught them and could therefore run the rest of our 8km warm-up with them or just behind them, in parts. It was very hot and I positively gulped the water down at the fountain on our return trip back to PH for the start of the real session.

After meeting up with our training group we ran a warm-up loop of PH before running a similar session to last week - one trial loop followed by four 900m loops of 100m gentle/200m hard. The loop is undulating and the weather was hot and oh boy did I enjoy that bubbler! It was a good way to start the week!

Total distance: 16.6km

Building up the Distance!

I decided against running at Mt Ainslie yesterday as we drove our daughter through to Sydney where both girls have now moved to this weekend. Instead I ran from home past the AIS incorporating a few trails there and running on to Lake BG, past the ferry terminal and on towards Molonglo Reach then back home via Lyneham. There was a bit of a head wind towards Molonglo but the temperature was much more pleasant than it has been of late, not as hot, making it more comfortable to run although my time was still very slow. I was very happy to squeeze in the distance before a very busy exhausting weekend and trouble with removalists!

Total distance: 30.33km
Time taken: 3hrs 12mins
Average pace: 6:22

Admittedly I did receive a call on my mobile and forgot to stop my garmin so it may have been marginally faster than that.

Goal for week: 76km
Achieved: 78km

Hill Repeats

Today's session included hill repeats. The temps reached 37deg today but I left home at 6.30pm when it had cooled very slightly although it still felt very hot at that stage. I ran for 15mins then ran 3 x 1min hill repeats jogging back to the start followed by 3 x 2min hill repeats. How can two minutes last so long? It was hard hot work. I followed this with about a 20min recovery run.

Total distance: 9.55km

I just could not manage that extra 500 metres to make it to 10km. However, I'm still ahead of schedule so don't feel too guilty! I should have run an hour later when the temperatures had dropped to a far more pleasant level. In fact the next few days should be much cooler in the mid 20s. Tomorrow is my scheduled rest day so I will go to Body Balance at the gym in the morning which includes some much needed stretching.

Footnote: After some very helpful advice I bought and tried a gel toe protector tonight for my rubbing toes. Yay, it solved that issue and now I've cut one to cover another toe which has developed a blister. Thank you softshoeshuffle. You are a legend!

Battling the Rising Temperature!

With temperatures of 35-38deg running has been tough this week!

Monday
6.15am - RPM at gym

4.30pm - Early warm-up at PH with speedychief and Ewen -8km
5.30pm - Training with speedygeese
Warm up loop of PH and a test run of 900m loop followed by main session as follows:
4 x 900m made up of 100m easy/200m hard
Cool down (nothing cool about it) back to PH

Total distance for day: 16.3km

Tuesday
7pm - Run from home - temperature still over 30deg.
Total distance: 8km
Time taken: 49mins

The best part of this hot run was when I ran past a house in a little cul-de-sac and noticed a man watering his shrubs. "Can I be a tree?" I called out and he obligingly turned the hose on me for a quick spray and it was fantastic - not sure if it was quite legal with water restrictions but I wasn't complaining!

Wednesday

I drove to Molonglo Reach and met Ewen there just before 7pm The temperature in my car said 39deg - still very hot outside. We ran out past the wetlands and round the East, Central Basin of the lake., It still felt really hot even when the sun was dim. The lake actually looked inviting! We saw tiny fluffy cygnets with their mum on the lake and dozens, yes dozens, of bunnies near Molonglo on the return trip. I'm having trouble with two of my toes rubbing against each other and was in a bit of pain throughout the run but we made it and good company always makes it easier.

Total distance: 14km
Time taken: 1hr 30mins
Average pace per km: 6:28

Track, Hills and Trails - What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

Track on Thursday

I didn't manage to make it to track in time for the 3000m and therefore decided to run the 1500m race instead. The track races tonight included ACT Athletics as well as ACT Masters so ages, sizes and abilities were very varied! There were only three grades at the start - the elite, the very very fast and the very fast. I lined up at the start in C Grade wondering why I was out there making an idiot of myself. However, I guess I'm there to make everyone else feel good. The temperature had dropped but the wind had picked up so that we started with the wind behind us but faced a head wind in the opposite direction. It was challenging but I wasn't quite last. I don't yet know my official time but it was about 7:35 which is considered very slow by anybody's standards but I just did the best I could.

I warmed up for a few laps after the race as I didn't have a chance beforehand. I cheered on the 400m runners with awed respect then entered the 4 lap spiral which is something I always enjoy. I had a handicap of 30 so was one of the first runners to start and came in 9th place. I followed this with more gentle running for a warm down. It was good to welcome Jodie and Lance, our new arrivals from Melbourne, for their first time but the temperature dropped considerably during the course of the evening and we were really cold by the time we left for our homeward trip.

Total distance: 7km

Saturday Long Run

This morning I timed it correctly and met the War Memorial group at 7am to tackle Mt Ainslie and beyond. It was a small select number of competent hill/track runners and with a bit of trepidation I ventured to join them. Fortunately for me Kelley was there and although she is normally a fast and competent hill runner she kept me company and ran at my pace. This was so good as the others sped ahead and sometimes we lost sight of them and I'm sure if Kelley hadn't been beside me I would still be out there in the hills trying to find my way home! We had a lovely companionable chat on the way or at least I chatted during the times that I could breathe! Conditions were ideal and it was good to be back on the trails but oh boy I noticed those undulations!

We started at the picnic area at the base of Mt Ainslie and ran/walked all the way to the top, drew breath and then ran an extra loop before running out to the highway. We ran parts of the Bush Capital marathon and covered lots of hilly trails. It was a lovely area and when I am fitter (hopefully this will happen sooner rather than later) I know I will benefit from these hard, hilly trails. It's certainly easier on the limbs than running on the cycle paths. The company was great and we all met up at the picnic area afterwards for a drink and chat. Twofruits arrived with some of his SFT training group having run 25km but then they continued on for another 16km - phew! My total distance was only 20km but it felt like hard work and it took 2hrs 21mins which is the same time as I took last week to run 23km on the flat!

Total distance: 20km
Time taken: 2:21
Calories burned: 1116

Tomorrow I will spectate at the sprint triathlon where I know heaps of people taking part, including Mr B.

15 Weeks to Canberra Marathon!

I have been continuing training as per my schedule but unfortunately we’re having heaps of trouble at home with our computer which keeps logging off. It will have to be rescued by our son as it’s driving me crazy! It doesn’t help that I can’t access the internet at work either as we have just packed everything up in boxes, including our computers, and will probably not be operational until Friday in our new office and even then we will be busy unpacking – no opportunity to blog there!!

Back to my training for the first week of the New Year.

Saturday 3 January
I parked my car at the War Memorial by 7.20am thinking I had plenty of time to join the group to run Mt Ainslie and beyond. After waiting 20mins I decided I had missed them somehow and set out on my own running down Anzac Pde and on to the lake and round the wetlands. I found out later that in fact the group starts at 7am not 7.30am as I had thought. Never mind, I’ll try again this coming weekend. I turned on my music and ran alone and was extremely pleased not to get lost as I have no sense of direction, as those who know me well, would definitely affirm. I managed to run East and Central Basins of the lake including Kingston and back past the carillon crossing over to Anzac Pde and back to the War Memorial. I avoided Mt Ainslie as I prefer to run that with company.
Total distance: 23km
Average pace per km: 6:09
Calories burned: 1350
Then I treated myself to a beautiful coffee all on my own at the Outpost Café.

Sunday 4 January
Just to make up the distance for the week I ran at 6.45pm hoping to avoid the intense heat of the day. It was still very hot but definitely not as hot as earlier in the day. I ran a very short run just to make my total for the week and was very happy to do so!
Total distance: 4:37
Time taken: 27:09
Average pace per km: 6:12 (slower than the 23km the day before!)
Calories burned: 258

Goal for week: 72km
Distance achieved for week: 75km! (Yay!)

Monday 5 January

6.15am - RPM at gym
After a disastrous working day I was held up in a meeting and didn’t leave the office until after 6pm which meant that I missed speedygeoff’s training at PH. Instead I ran from home at about 7.15pm and it was still 32deg and unpleasantly hot. I needed to run as my mood was dismal – nothing like a good run to clear the head!
Total distance: 10km
Time taken: 1:03
To top off a rotten day my Gandalf Garmin was not properly charged and I had to run without it. It’s amazing how often you look at an arm expecting to see the average speed pop up!!

Today - Wednesday 7 January
Early morning run when the temperature was manageable.
Total distance: 10.13km
Time taken: 1:02
Average pace per km: 6:12

I ran early today as Ewen wasn't able to run with me in the late afternoon. As the temps were 35deg by the afternoon and the wind is furious I was glad I had run when it was very pleasant. Today is my oldest daughter's birthday and we have a pleasant family evening planned, trying out the updated Belluci's Suburban restaurant tonight.

This week I have an easy week scheduled and my total distance for the week reduces. I have three weeks hard, one week easy in my current training plan.

Another Year Bites the Dust!

I can't believe it's 2009 already. Happy New Year to one and all! Although we have had warm sunny weather there has been a nasty wind following us about, especially when running!

Yesterday, I finished work early and met up with Ewen at Molonglo at 2.30pm to go for a run . It was a nice leisurely run battling the wind in parts (of course, doesn't the wind always blow when we run together)! We firstly ran the new path to the airport then ran clockwise round the East and Central Basin of Lake BG. There were a few tiny fluffy cygnets on the lake being protected by their parents and we also noticed some teenage cygnets with protective swans swimming closely by them. Perhaps they were causing their parents some grief on New Year's Eve!

During our run we passed someone eating a very tempting looking icecream which made us decide that we would head to Reconciliation Place after our run to enjoy very yummy gelato followed by an equally creamy and delicious coffee - a great discovery of a location! While we were sitting there idling the afternoon away two young runners came up excitedly recognising me from Rimini in Italy! They had been at the duathlon there and indeed Jodie had gone on to compete in the Hawaii Ironman soon afterwards. They moved to Canberra from Melbourne two days ago and are very keen to get into the running/triathlon scene here. Thus we exchanged numbers and will keep in touch after they move from their hotel to Bruce on Friday - very exciting that they remembered me - such a lovely couple.

Total distance: 16km

Time taken: 1:42:12

Average pace per km: 6:23

New Year's Day - Thursday

We saw 2009 in with CJ and Mr CJ quietly at our home with nibbles, chocolate, Baileys, wine and champagne - a pleasant evening indeed. CJ and I also decided, as we both had 10km scheduled, that we should run it together today.

Mr B dropped me off about 3km from our meeting place to give me a little extra distance and the three of us ran gently round Lake G battling a nasty persistent strong wind. It was another sunny hot day but that wind is really strong and annoying. It's ages since CJ and I have run together and it was such fun being able to chat all the way and not worry about the pace. We couldn't run much faster anyway as the wind was a head-on battle.

Total distance: 10.4km

Average pace per km: 6:23

This pace appears to be consistent - consistently slow!

2008 is rapidly drawing to a close!!

I thought I should write at least one entry in December so here goes! Here is my confession! It has been 7 weeks since my last blog entry! In that time I have caught up with friends and relatives in New Zealand, run approx 280km, been to the gym several times, survived Christmas shopping, spent too much money and gained a couple of kilos having eaten far too much food!!

Photo shows Barb, strewth, Mr B in NZ!

I have decided to resume blogging as I begin training for the Canberra Marathon. I have used up all my annual leave and as a consequence I'm working through this holiday period. However I did manage to leave work early yesterday and joined Ewen, Miranda and speedychief for an 8km warm-up before our main session. When the others joined us at 5.30pm (only 8 of us altogether) we ran another couple of warm-up loops of PH before running 6 x 600m repeats on 5mins. The 600m consisted of two loops starting up a steep climb, plus a third climb up the hill to finish each interval. It was tough and hot! We then ran the cool-down to finish which meant those of us who started early did a grand total of 16km - woo hoo! I had also risen at 5.30am to go to my RPM session at the gym so I'm back into these early mornings.

This morning (Tuesday) I ran a short 6km loop of the local block at 6am before going into the office where we are packing up to move out of the city into a northern suburb - not happy about that move but on a positive note it will be near the Dickson Oval when we resume our Autumn training after track season finishes!!

When Courage Pays Dividends!

Tuesday

6.15am - Upper body strength/weights/abs

6.15pm - Cross Country Spring series at Black Mountain Peninsula

It was a very hot afternoon and the course was three repeats of cross country on rough grassy surface. I found it hot and not at all easy. The best part was catching up with lots of running buddies AND, wait for it, racing Aki to the finish line. She was obviously unwell and I found out later was suffering from intense pain from wisdom teeth. This is the only time I will ever catch her so that little last minute burst of energy probably did me good! Aki was pleased she ventured out bravely through her pain as she won the Running Shop barrel draw which was fantastic! Congratulations on your courage my friend!

Total distance: 5km
Time taken: 28:29
Average pace per km: 5:43
Calories burned: 293

Wednesday
6.15am - RPM class 45mins/Abs class 15mins
5.15pm - Run

I found a substitute for Ewen today and persuaded a work colleague to roller blade for the first time in months while I ran to Molonglo. It was another very hot afternoon and I really did struggle with the heat. My friend only made it as far as the carillon where he had to rest a while and I ran on to Molonglo where I found lots of water to throw over me and drank heaps before returning to meet him near the Boathouse. He rollerbladed alongside me back to the overbridge and I ran back to the office. I found it very hot and tiring and was surprised that in fact it was faster than last week. The temperature was still 26deg when we were running.

Total distance: 13.31km
Time taken: 1:21:04
Average pace per km: 6:05
Calories burned: 777

Thursday

The temperature reached 30degrees today. We are experiencing sudden hot weather which is due to become much cooler by the time the weekend arrives - hmmmm! I didn't venture to track this afternoon as I felt sore and definitely not up to racing. I have also felt decidedly ho hum all day. It was probably a good decision as I did go for a run with Mr B after work and it was very slow and painful. We ran from home and down towards Gungahlin turning at the 4km mark and returning home as I knew I couldn't run any further. I kept Mr B in sight but I shouldn't say I was actually running with him.

Distance: 8km
Time taken: 49:49
Average pace per km: 6:13
Calories burned: 470

A Gaggle of Geese and Goslings

Firstly I must amend my Wednesday's blog entry which stated that Ewen and I spotted goslings on our run. I have speedygeese and goslings on my brain. And our speedycoach is correct in assuming I meant cygnets in fact! No doubt they will be full-grown swans by the time we run past there again as this week Ewen is easing off for the 10,000m on the track on Thursday, next Wed I have a work function and the following Wed I will be in NZ. Rats - it's getting to be THAT time of year again!

Today
6.15am - RPM
5.30pm - Run with speedygeese at Parliament House
We ran a similar session to last week on a much hotter day. After our warm-up loop of PH we headed for the rose garden and our main session was as follows:

3 sets of 5 x 410m loops with 200m sprints on the flat sandy strip by the road.
Each set of 5 was off 3 minutes so we had a little rest before the next set of 5.

We finished with a warm-down loop of PH.
Total distance: 10.1km
Calories burned: 570

Weekends Go Too Fast!

Golly gosh tomorrow it's Monday again already. Where do the weekends go? This was a good weekend, very relaxing and very productive. We met up with friends for dinner on Friday night, I baked my Christmas cake (woo hoo), bought my Christmas cards and even got on my bike and more to the point, rode it!! We also visited Kingston Markets and bought our Christmas pudding! And yesterday, we saw a fantastic movie which I highly recommend - "Burn after Reading" - really funny!

Back to Thursday's track at the AIS - a bit of a disastrous result in the 3000m but before that I ran in the 6 lap spiral and thoroughly enjoyed it, then entered the 1500m walk with Miranda and Marg and it was loads of fun. In fact in the last 100m I wiggled my butt and picked up the speed to pass Miranda and Peter who had been in front of me all the way - loved the feeling!

However, the 3000m run was dreadful. I felt sluggish and it showed. No matter what, I couldn't get any more speed out of my legs and the end result was even slower than last week which I didn't think was possible! Oh dear me, I just have to improve!!

Fridays are currently my rest day. I go to the gym before work but there I do a Body Balance class which is very good for me as there's loads of stretching involved. It's a mix of yoga, tai chi, balance, pilates, abs and stretching. After the class we have about 5mins total relaxation and it's just lovely and a great way to start a Friday.

Saturday - Run

I ran down to Lake G and met Marg there and together we ran for another 30mins before turning and returning to Black Pepper for coffee. The first 3km from home were really slow and everything hurt but then I slowly found my rhythm and it was certainly easier once I met up with Marg at about the 5km point - company is always good!

Total distance: 15km

Sunday - Cycle

Today after the cake was in the oven Mr B and I went for a bike ride (woo hoo, I really did) down to Lake Burley Griffin and round the bridge to bridge ride and home. We spotted Roger walking with a lady friend a couple of times. It was a great day for being out and about.

Total distance: 24km Cycle - yay!

Running with Tired Legs!

Now these tired legs could be caused by a few hard runs this week or a hard workout at RPM or just plain late nights but they were certainly objecting this afternoon when Ewen and I ran our usual route to Molonglo Reach bridge and back. Naturally there was a head-wind on the way back but it was quite hot on the way out, far hotter than it had been earlier in the day when it was positively winter-like! I had to stop twice for water which makes me realise that it's time I took a drink bottle on these runs. We saw some new baby goslings and last week's babies had grown bigger! They were all eager to come to the water's edge and follow us in the hope of some crumbs. They are so cute.

Total distance: 14:08
Time taken: 1:27:48
Average pace per km: 6:14
Calories burned: 822

I was surprised that this was less than a minute slower than last week as it felt like hard work tonight but at least we ran all the way and Ewen did most of the talking!

Spring Lambs on the Loose!

I selected quite the wrong horses today for the Melbourne Cup (so did Ewen in his sweep selections) but the sun shone and it was great to have a holiday. We had a very pleasant lunch at Federation Square and spent some time with our family. Later Mr B and I drove to Weston Park to enter the first of the Cross Country Club Spring Series runs. It had clouded over and the conditions were ideal. My legs however decided to go on strike so my time was pretty slow!

Distance: 5km plus 2.3km warm-down = 7.3km
Time taken: 27:34
Average pace per km: 5:40
Calories burned: 285

Hopefully next week my time will improve although the course is at Black Mountain Peninsula which is hillier so it probably won't! After the barrel draws were over I ran a short warm down with speedygeoff and aki. We ran up hill and down dale and up and over little bridges and had fun being children or was that Spring Lambs? We spotted kangaroos including one little joey - very spring-like and fun!

Round and Round and Round We Go!

RPM this morning was hard work - it always is, of course, but this morning was extra hard. Maybe it was because a large number of people had taken today as an extra holiday and it felt like we should stay home in bed too! Tomorrow is a public holiday in Canberra to celebrate Melbourne Cup Day but it is officially called Family and Community Day because not all states in Australia have the benefit of having this day declared a holiday. It's an experiment for 3 years in the ACT and this is our 2nd year. In some ways it's a bit of a shame because we miss out on the office sweeps and lunches which always used to last all afternoon anyway! It does however mean we have a lovely sleep-in tomorrow - no complaints about that!

This evening speedygeoff's training was long and hard. We ran our usual warm-up loop of Parliament House then headed for the rose garden to do similar training to last week. However, tonight we ran as many undulating 410m loops as possible in 45mins speeding up for the flat 200m at the top of the steps. It was a tough session. I did have to stop for one call of nature but I managed 16 laps which wasn't too bad. Some fast runners ran 20 and some people only ran every second loop in order to have a short break between each repeat which meant they ran up to 10laps. We then jogged another loop of PH and back to the start to warm down.

Total distance: 10.4km
Calories burned: 620

Running for Fun and a Good Cause!

Ben Donohue was a 9year old boy who died in 2005 from a brain tumour. His mother works at Hawker College and since he died the school have annually organised a Fun Run to raise money for brain tumour research, the ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group and Make-A-Wish Australia. This is the fourth year of the event which is a 6km fun run and walk round most of Lake Ginninderra. Today the conditions were ideal with cloud cover to start and a very mild temperature in the early 20s. Rachelle and I decided to put in a late entry and arrived in plenty of time to find quite a number of familiar faces. It was a pleasant run with a very large crowd of entrants of all ages and levels of fitness from the very serious runners setting PBs to those who participated for the fun. Every entrant helped raise money for a very worthy cause. We had fun and later enjoyed a lovely lunch by the lake, yummy food, good coffee but slow service. However there was plenty of good conversation- it was very pleasant indeed!

Total distance: 6km
Time taken: 33:20
Average pace per km: 5:32
Calories burned: 353

Too Much Halloween!

After a Halloween party last night and a bit of a sleep-in this morning I could only fit in a short run before an appointment late morning. However, my legs were leaden and I ran very slowly and I doubt if I could have managed to continue on with a longer run this morning anyway. I just ran from home past the lake with my music encouraging me to keep plodding along - ouch!

Total distance: 10km
Time taken: 1:02:46
Average pace per km: 6:16
Calories burned: 595
Hmmm, too much partying methinks!!

800metres catches me unawares!

Last night I decided to arrive at track in time for a gentle warm up with Ewen and to run the 3000m. I arrived at the stands at 6.58pm and was greeted with, "what age group are you?" I told the ladies my age sadly and was surprised at the excited response. 'Yes, a W55 woman - we can form a relay team for the 800m' - oh dear me. They really wanted to run and there was no-one else to help them out, what could I do? Thus it was that I ended up running 3rd spot in the 4 x 800m relay in the W55 age group not knowing that they had set their sights on a record! Oh dear again, having never run a track relay in my life, let alone an 800m I had no idea what was in store. When I took the baton I ran my best but it was hard, I had not warmed up of course having been taken by surprise and the result was that we missed out on the record by 30secs probably my 30secs. However, my team was encouraging and lovely - just happy to have had the opportunity to run and I was not made to feel bad at all, in fact they asked me to join them again which is pretty amazing!! By the time I had returned to the stands I had started coughing and coughing and coughing. I am told that this is a very common occurrence with 800m sprints - in fact there was a lot of coughing coming from my end of the stands. It felt like a dead insect was stuck in my throat and tears were pouring down my face. I just could not stop coughing.

However, 20mins later I was back on the track running in the 3000m as was the original intention. I found it hard and hot and my time was probably a PW (16:05 - average pace 5:20)but hey, hopefully it's all up from here! Look out track, I'll be back!

Synchronised Swans

I had RPM and abs this morning before work and after work a run with Ewen to Molonglo River where we ran under the bridge on the new track for a little way. It looks promising for a longer run when we up our distances in the future as from that spot it's marked as 3km to the airport - worth investigating.

On our return we were entranced by the sight of black swans and signets on the lake, in particular by the sight of two black swans swimming in perfect synchronisation. Perhaps we should have Olympics for swans. They were amazing. We also ran past our bunny friends who have all grown up from the babies of last year. However, bunnies being bunnies, there were defnitely a few little ones out there as well.

We still had a few problems with the head wind - it's definitely hayfever weather with lots of white pollen floating about in the air. We did manage to run faster than last week though as the wind was not nearly as strong and although it was cool during the day the sun had come out by the time we ran and it was actually quite hot. We stopped on the way to talk to Roger who was cycling home in the opposite direction.

Total distance: 14.3km

Time taken: 1:28:53

Average pace per km: 6:13
Calories burned: 850

Bad Hair Day!

Last Wednesday (22 October) Ewen and I battled the elements to run from my office to the Lake and past Molonglo Reach and back. The headwind was in full force and required hat holding – forget the hair! It was indeed a powerful force but on the way out we felt reassured by the fact that on the return the wind would be behind us! Ha, ha, no such luck – we turned, so did the wind and all the way back we were fighting the wind again – not fair! I think Ewen jinxed us with his blog comment! We did however run 14km before I rushed home to prepare for a dinner date.
Total distance: 14km
Time taken: 1:30:52
Average pace per km: 6:27

I returned to the gym last Tuesday and have attended an upper body strength session and three RPM classes since then. Sunday was the Masters’ Handicap Run at O’Connor Ridge. Going out the night before for a farewell party was probably a mistake, at least the wine and food consumed was a mistake! I really struggled on the hills (lots of them). I could make several excuses – consuming too much Italian food, carrying extra weight (as a result of this), too many celebrations, a late night, lack of sleep. I could keep making excuses but the real reason is lack of training – let’s face it! I have some serious work to do!!
Total distance: 8km
Time taken: 52:52
Handicap: 22
Place: 82 (out of 100 finishers)

Monday – speedygeoff’s training at Parliament House
This is my first full week of gym (RPM classes, abs class and weights) and my legs felt like lead as I ran the warm-up loop of PH. The main session involved:

10 x 410m undulating loops from the rose gardens up the steps to the road including a 200m sprint on the flat sandy surface beside the road before jogging round the bends through the shady trees and back to the start in 30minutes. It was hard work but after about the 4th loop I felt much better and really pushed for the second half of the session. It felt good – I actually enjoyed it – woo hoo. I will improve!

Total distance: 8.5km

Today I went to the gym to work on my upper body strength session and abs. This is my last Tuesday without afternoon running. Next week will be the start of more serious training – the only possible way to improve. Perhaps soon I will return to swimming – perhaps - I know it’s good for me!

It's a Start!

Yay, I returned to speedygeese training at Parliament House tonight. It was so good to be back. I was quite worried about going as I thought I would struggle heaps, but Caroline and Ewen ran with me and we chatted and it was great to catch up. We ran a warm-up loop of PH and then the main set was 6 x 360m fast/340m slow up the grassy bank and round the undulating tracks. At least that's what it was in theory but our pace was definitely not fast, it was talking pace and the three of us always came in last and the whistle blew just after we arrived for the next run. The total distance I recorded was 8km - slow, yes but I feel so much better for having run. I can only improve from here.

The spirit is willing but the body is weak - misquote!

This morning I ran 8km slowly, very slowly but at least I ran. I want so much to run at a normal pace but I guess I just have to work up to it again. Tomorrow training at PH will be interesting, it could be just a slow jog for me. Everybody is achieving such fantastic results in events lately and I am struggling just to run. Later this morning Rach and I met PRB at Telopea Park to advertise ACT Masters Athletics at the Parks Day - stunning weather out there.

I have started downloading Italian photos onto a new blog but it will take some time as it's a slow process, like my running!

Back to Reality!

I am finally feeling human again after suffering from intense jet lag feeling wide awake every night and tired every day! Today Mr B has returned safely after spending this week in the UK with relatives. We have caught up with the family and now life will return to normal, at least for a month before we fly off to NZ for 9 days for more celebrations and to catch up with heaps of friends and relatives.

On Saturday (11 Oct) Mr B drove Mandy and I safely to Siena where we caught a bus for a winding, interesting, hilly and bumpy ride to Chiusi to catch the train to Rome. Alighting the train at Siena was interesting with all our very heavy luggage in tow. To start with we had to pull the bags up several flights of steps just to reach the correct platform – no escalators of course! It was a slow difficult process and pulling the bags on to the train was yet another hurdle to overcome. We caught a cab from the station to our hotel which was also interesting as when we reached the number on the street it looked just like a huge door and not a bit like a hotel. Just as we were contemplating how we were going to get inside an American couple emerged, held the door for us and left us with the comment “you won’t like the steps!” Ah me, this is Italy – always steps. And so we clambered up several more flights of steps with our bags very, very slowly, to find at the top of the stairs a rackety old lift, the size of a small cupboard, to take us the rest of the way. When the lift stopped we stepped out into a cute little hotel – really delightful – all blue, white and pretty with a little lounge room and dining area by reception looking out onto the back streets of Rome through high windows. The receptionist helped us with our bags to our room – that part was easy, no steps! It was a tiny little double room with a cute little bathroom and bed – very small but perfect for just one night in Rome. It was unfortunate that without time or transport we were unable to visit the Black Knight in Civitivechia as that is an hour’s drive from Rome. We did throw coins in the Trevi Fountain though so we will return!

After freshening up mother and daughter hit the sights of Rome. We walked for some time to find a spot for lunch and coffee then we decided to try the train lines and re-visit some of the tourist spots. We managed the underground surprisingly well and visited the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Circus Maximus (where we ran last year). There we were caught at the finish of a political protest. There were crowds and crowds of people dressed in red carrying red flags and representing the Communist Party of Italy. They were shouting and chanting and cheering. It was quite exciting until we tried to catch a train. I can’t believe how many people would squeeze on to trains in Rome. It is indeed an experience in itself. They are packed like sardines, nobody can move and still more people push themselves aboard. No way would that happen in Aussie. We just couldn’t squeeze ourselves in to that extent. Every train was the same and crowds of people were still pouring onto the platform as each train left. We wore our bags on our fronts and held each others hands just to enable us to keep together.

While the sun was still shining we decided to find a spot to enjoy a glass of wine in the sun. It was fun people watching and then we walked on to find somewhere for a meal and another glass of wine. The advantage of having a young beautiful daughter is that Italian men give her lots of attention and service is very prompt. We certainly experienced it that evening in Rome. We enjoyed a lovely meal, great wine, two amazing cocktails and excellent service from a very attentive waiter. It was a great night and lots of fun!

All good things must come to an end and thus it was that next morning, Sunday, after a relaxing breakfast we caught a cab to the airport and flew the long, long flight home with a two hour stop-over at Hong Kong airport on the way. Fortunately there were no hassles with our bags which were a few kilos overweight nor with our hand luggage which was opened and searched at HK airport. I watched several movies during the 24 hour flight but I did not sleep one wink! We were met in Sydney by a friend who drove us back to Canberra to arrive in the early hours of Tuesday morning absolutely exhausted.

On Thursday I attempted a run but lasted only 5km before having to return home utterly defeated. Yesterday I returned to work to plough through several hundred emails. Life is slowly returning to normal and another exciting adventure has ended. Photos will be posted soon!!

Our time is running out!

This will be my last opportunity to blog from Italy so I will grab the moment. As seems to be the way today, being our last day in Chianti, has been superb - hot and sunny, just gorgeous. First thing this morning Dave went for a 36km bike ride, Mandy went for a 6km walk and I went for a 10km run, discovering some lovely little country detours and I didn't even become lost - woo hoo! It was quite magical. I must admit I did a quick detour when I spotted a dog on one of the farm roads - no, we won't risk that one after last year's little episode!

Back to Wed after lunch when we went for a lovely drive exploring some of the Chianti towns. Lecchi and Gaioli were both closed. Some towns are closed on Wednesdays which may have explained it. Instead we drove on to Castellina and walked through the township remembering how pretty it was from last year's trip. It is the most medieval of the Chianti towns and we walked through a tunnel-like road with little windows overlooking the countryside. This was a soldiers' walk when it was Florence's last outpost before Siena.

In the evening we returned to Radda where we found a delightful little tucked-away restaurant. The service was slow but the ambience was lovely and the food and wine delicious.

Thursday 9 October

In the morning we drove to Siena to organise tickets to Chiusi then Rome for Mandy and me on Saturday morning and we drove on to some factory outlets for a browse and to enjoy hot chocolate from the Lindt chocolate outlet and a light lunch before returning to Siena for an explore. We sat in the sunshine in the Piazza del Campo enjoying campari and soda and loving the fact that the sun was actually warm. We roamed the lovely little alleys and streets and had a great day before returning to Radda for a giant (and I mean GIANT) pizza between the three of us at a local pizza restaurant with local wine and some locals generally chatting away to us with little bits of English and our little bit of Italian - great fun.

And so back to today, Friday, we have finally booked our hotel on the internet after some difficulty. Now we will have a last glass of local wine in the sunshine and enjoy our passeggiata before the horrendous task of packing our bags commences - oh dear!

La Vita e Bella!

Apologies for such a long delay between posts. I am now writing on a very dodgy computer which may log me out any minute but at least I have an opportunity to blog at last. We are now in Radda in Chianti and I have been breathing fresh beautiful country air. Rimini was great fun and the opening ceremony on Friday 26 Sept fantastic. All the represented countries marched behind their relevant flags and appropriate music played. For Aussie we heard "I come from a land down under" ! When the kiwis marched they stopped, turned to face the South Africans and performed a Maori haka - it was so cool. That evening Mr B, Caroline, Mark, Connie and Peter (another Aussi ex-kiwi couple) had dinner in an English pub - great fun.

Sat 27 September

Today was the women's duathlon race and after watching the elites race early in the day we cheered on the women, especially Caroline and Connie, in the afternoon. Later our daughter arrived with her friends. It was lots of fun and Caroline did so well, winning a bronze medal in her age group - woo hoo! That evening we found a great fish restaurant which also served pasta and gently celebrated Caroline's great result.

Sunday

Today the men over 50 (about 250 competitors) raced at 7.45am which meant an early brekkie at 6am - phew! It was a bleak day weather-wise and Mr B had to run the entire first leg 10km run in pouring rain. However by the start of the 40km cycle the rain had cleared and the sun eventually appeared. It was such an exciting day and Mr B managed a PB so was pretty happy. We cheered on Lachie and Rad from Canberra and felt quite emotional as Rad finished to loud loud cheers from everyone as he had to run through the next age group of competitors who had started and were also encouraging him on. That evening we all enjoyed the after party celebrations at the Convention Centre where Caroline was presented with her bronze medal and we had a lovely evening with everyone together.

Milan Monday 29 Sept to Thursday 2 October

And so we left Rimini bidding our friends farewell as we went our various ways. The sun was now out in full and we enjoyed a sunny day and pleasant lunch before heading off to Milan. Our hotel in Milan was set on a busy main shopping street surrounded by shops. It was very hot inside and the street noises were loud although we were two levels up. The mosquitos loved me and sleeping was difficult but it was an exciting place to be. On our first day Mandy and I explored the shops (of course) but although Mandy's shopping was very successful I was overwhelmed and just browsed in awe! Mr B drove a long drive to the ferrari museum but it was closed for refurbishment until next year - grrr!

Tuesday evening we went to the Coldplay concert. It was really awesome. No words could possibly describe it - the atmosphere, the enormous crowds and the fact that the Italians knew all the words of every song in English! What a night, what an experience!

Wed we bought an all-day tram and train ticket and explored the main part of the city. The shops were mind boggling and mainly very expensive. We walked through an Emporium of exclusive shops such as Gucci, Armani etc and visited the Duomo where the frescoes were out of this world - tall spires outside, quite stunning. We enjoyed aperitifs at one cafe and yummy pizza that evening followed by the best tiramisu I've ever tasted and superb wine.

Thursday (our last full day in Milan) we explored again using another all-day ticket - the best way to travel and see heaps. I found Milan to be a concrete jungle full of amazing designer shops but all far too overwhelming for me. Mandy, on the other hand, revelled in the shopping. However, we all found it to be crowded and a bit polluted and longed for open spaces again. On our last evening Mr B took us out for a big surprise. First we walked to the Diana Majestic Bar at the Sheraton Hotel where we enjoyed amazing aperitifs which included a fabulous spread of up-market nibbles, salads etc. Next we went by taxi to the theatre to see Bryan Adams perform. He was just amazing and it was a wonderful night. We drank champagne while waiting to enter the theatre and it was a completely awesome experience. Again the Italians sang loudly in English to all the songs and were a great audience knowing all the words by heart.

Friday 3 October

'For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo!'

Today as we we drove away from Milan the sun came out and with no real idea of where to stay tonight we decided, on impulse, to head for Verona and try to stay there. We managed to find a hotel about 9km from the city and it was lovely. Verona is a beautiful place and I would love to return there to explore it further one day. It's a very romantic city and we visited the house of Juliet out of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Certainly the Capulets lived there and it was easy to believe that Juliet truly lived there and the story was true. We explored the house and stood on the balcony where Juliet had called to Romeo. It was sooooo romantic and beautiful. We then walked a while to visit her mythical tomb - all so real and eerie. It was a beautiful city and I'm so glad we decided to stop there for a short time.

Saturday 4 October

As we drove away from Verona towards Chianti we glimpsed the stunning snowcapped Dolamites in the distance. Gradually the countryside changed showing us lots of vineyards and green fields. We drove first to Florence where Mandy met up with her friend from the UK and spent the day there with her before they both came back for the weekend. We left the girls there to explore and drove on to Radda in Chianti along lots of long, windy, hilly roads typical of Italian countryside. Our farmouse is called Santorello and is set on a hill with magnificent country views. It has two levels with a dining-lounge area, two bedrooms and bathroom on the lower level and bathroom, laundry, bedroom, kitchen, lounge-dining area on the upper level. Opposite in the distance on a high hill we can see a fairytale castle which is actually a winery and restaurant. The setting is just awesome. We booked a spot for the following evening there. Later we collected the girls from Florence and enjoyed a good meal in a popular restaurant where the CJs had a meal with us last year. Later we drove the long windy road back to Radda where we slept like logs.

Sunday 5 October

This morning Mr B and I went for our first run in over a week. It was wonderful running across the valley, past the winery and round some of the winding road. It was short but gee it felt good to finally run in the beautiful country air. Today we explored Radda and then drove on to San Gimignano for another trip down memory lane - for lunch and a gelato of course! In the evening we enjoyed a superb meal at our fairytale restaurant on the hill which definitely lived up to our expectations - great wine, fantastic service!

Monday 6 October

This morning, to please the girls, we drove them to fancy brand-name factory outlets on the way to Florence. It was a bit of a detour as we became lost but eventually we continued on to Florence where the girls were meeting some travelling friends from Canberra and Mandy's friends from Perugia drove through for a reunion too. Mandy decided to stay the night there to celebrate her friend's engagement and to return by train to us next day so Mr B and I explored separately. We browsed round the markets and enjoyed another great meal in a welcoming restaurant and walked and walked to find the good gelati place which we discovered last year before returning to Radda to sleep, perchance to dream!

Tuesday 7 October

This was going to be a quiet relaxing catch-up day but it didn't quite turn out that way. After catching up with washing etc we had a call from Mandy to ask us to meet her train in Montevarchi so off we went in that direction stopping on the way at Vertine - a delightful little village consisting of one church, one restaurant and lots of gorgeous houses. We saw two cats but every door was closed and the only person we saw was a man tending his veges. It was only 11.30am so was quite bizarre. We next stopped at Giaole which deserves a longer visit as it looks quite enticing. Just before reaching Montevarchi we received another text message to say Mandy's train doors didn't open at her stop and she was still on the train! We decided the next stop would be Arezzo so we drove another very windy 25km to meet her there. Fortunately the doors opened and she was waiting there for us looking relieved! We decided to spend some time in Arezzo where the shops were closed for siesta but the bars and cafes were open for us to enjoy a delicious prostini before viewing a relatively small church as the duomo was closed. It still had fantastic frescoes. Arezzo is the setting for many of the scenes in "Life is Beautiful" (La Vita e Bella) - an Oscar winning movie which I loved.

That evening we lit the fire in the house and drank San Gimignano wine while enjoying an Italian meal which Mandy and I prepared, finishing with local chocolate and Baileys. I am turning into a well-rounded Italian mama with all this Italian food and great coffee. The cappuccinos are lovely although I notice it is difficult to find a hot coffee. The best cappuccino we have had was at the Gucci cafe in Milan. At $10 a pop it would need to be!!

Wednesday 8 October - Today!!

Yay - this morning I went for a 7km run to Vertine and back including a few little farm roads on the way back. It was definitely undulating, reminiscent of some of our runs last year. It was also very slow but I loved every minute of it. The views were awesome and the air was fresh and clean. Mr B went for a 20km cycle to Giaole and back and Mandy went for a 4km walk towards Radda so we all felt much better after some exercise all in different directions!

Later we drove to Radda township (about 4km from our country house up and down hills) where I am right now and explored it some more. There's heaps of cute little nooks and crannies and hidden delights here. I love it. The sun is out and life is beautiful!!